President Trump's search for a new attorney general faces the same fundamental problem that has plagued his previous picks: the impossibility of prosecuting political enemies without evidence. The president has settled on Todd Blanche, his former defense lawyer, as acting attorney general, but Todd Blanche faces the same constraints that derailed Pam Bondi's efforts.

Despite Trump's demands for retribution against political adversaries, federal judges, grand juries, and career prosecutors have repeatedly blocked investigations lacking legal merit. The Justice Department under Todd Blanche has already failed to win cases against James Comey and Letitia James, with judges ruling that prosecutors were unlawfully appointed or lacked evidence. Trump's Republican allies, including Representative Chip Roy, continue to push for more aggressive action.

Trump's attempts to weaponize the Justice Department against opponents like Adam Schiff, John Brennan, and Cassidy Hutchinson have encountered consistent resistance from the legal system. Even with Todd Blanche's close ties to the president from their courtroom battles, the fundamental barrier remains: courts will not sanction prosecutions based on political vendettas rather than evidence. The legal system's pushback represents an extraordinary check on executive power, demonstrating that institutional norms and ethical constraints still limit even a president determined to pursue retribution.